UNDERSTANDING LONELINESS PATTERNS AMONG WIDOWED OLDER ADULTS OVER TIME AND THE PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF SOCIAL SUPPORT

Abstract The present study aimed to investigate loneliness among widowed and non-widowed older adults. Additionally, the study sought to identify classes with different loneliness patterns among widowed older adults over time and to determine social resources that impact loneliness patterns after spousal loss. Data from the Health and Retirement Study were utilized to compare loneliness levels between widowed (n = 137) and non-widowed (n = 2,361). Those who were married at T1 (2008/2010), widowed at T2 (2012/2014), and remained widowed at T3 (2016/2018) were defined as widowed. T-tests were conducted to compare loneliness between the two groups, revealing that widowed individuals reported significantly higher levels of loneliness at T2 only. Using growth mixture models, three distinct loneliness patterns were identified among widowed individuals: Group 1, displaying mid-level loneliness at T1 and increasing over time (n=32); Group 2, exhibiting the lowest loneliness at T1 and leveling off (n=88); and Group 3, experiencing the highest loneliness at T1 and decreasing over time (n=17). Finally, analysis of variance tests were conducted to determine whether social support and engagement as measured at T1 differed among the three identified groups. Results indicated that social support from friends and children was significantly higher among group 2 compared to the other two groups. This study provides evidence of the protective effect of social support before widowhood on the psychological well-being of older adults after spousal loss. The findings may have implications for the development of interventions aimed at supporting widowed older adults during this difficult period of transition.

lived alone (n = 6, 50%).Caregivers of participants (n = 5; M = 63 years old, SD = 11) were predominantly Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish origin (n = 3, 60%), female (n = 4, 80%), and lived with a partner (n = 4, 80%).Four central themes emerged: social isolation, emotional concerns, transportation loss, and care loss.Data showed decreases in social support and increases in loneliness.Results suggest programs like PACE greatly benefit older adults.Future directions may include developing community-based interventions to address service needs and social isolation concerns in Wyoming.

THE MODERATING ROLE OF SOCIAL SUPPORT IN THE RELATION BETWEEN FUNCTIONAL LIMITATIONS AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS
Junyub Lim, and Giyeon Kim, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea Background and Objectives: Prior research has demonstrated that social support from friends and neighbors can effectively reduce depressive symptoms.However, few studies have investigated how the characteristics of these relationships can alleviate depressive symptoms among older adults with functional limitations.Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the moderating effects of characteristics of friends and neighbors relationships on the link between functional limitations and depressive symptoms among Korean older adults.Methods: The data used for analyses were obtained from the 2020 Survey of Living Conditions and Welfare Needs of Korean Older Persons, a nationally representative survey.The sample included a total of 9,985 individuals who were 65 years of age or older residing in Korea.Results: Results from the moderator analyses revealed that the link between functional limitations and depressive symptoms was influenced by both the number of close friends and neighbors (b = -0.085,p < .01)and the level of satisfaction with relationships with friends and communities (b = 2.052, p < .05).Discussion: Satisfaction with relationships with friends and communities may act as a protective factor that mitigates the impact of functional limitations on depressive symptoms.In particular, for older adults with functional limitations, having a larger network of friends and neighbors network is expected to help reduce the risk of depressive symptoms.

UNDERSTANDING LONELINESS PATTERNS AMONG WIDOWED OLDER ADULTS OVER TIME AND THE PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF SOCIAL SUPPORT Gina Lee, and Daniel Russell, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States
The present study aimed to investigate loneliness among widowed and non-widowed older adults.Additionally, the study sought to identify classes with different loneliness patterns among widowed older adults over time and to determine social resources that impact loneliness patterns after spousal loss.Data from the Health and Retirement Study were utilized to compare loneliness levels between widowed (n = 137) and non-widowed (n = 2,361).Those who were married at T1 (2008/2010), widowed at T2 (2012/2014), and remained widowed at T3 (2016/2018) were defined as widowed.T-tests were conducted to compare loneliness between the two groups, revealing that widowed individuals reported significantly higher levels of loneliness at T2 only.Using growth mixture models, three distinct loneliness patterns were identified among widowed individuals: Group 1, displaying mid-level loneliness at T1 and increasing over time (n=32); Group 2, exhibiting the lowest loneliness at T1 and leveling off (n=88); and Group 3, experiencing the highest loneliness at T1 and decreasing over time (n=17).Finally, analysis of variance tests were conducted to determine whether social support and engagement as measured at T1 differed among the three identified groups.Results indicated that social support from friends and children was significantly higher among group 2 compared to the other two groups.This study provides evidence of the protective effect of social support before widowhood on the psychological well-being of older adults after spousal loss.The findings may have implications for the development of interventions aimed at supporting widowed older adults during this difficult period of transition.As individuals age, social connection becomes increasingly important, and social media has the potential to facilitate social connections.This study aimed to investigate the relationship between age and well-being, focusing on the mediating role of social media use.While previous research has found social connection to be an important predictor of well-being, the specific implications of social media use for social connection on various aspects of well-being remain unclear.To explore this relationship, the study used publicly available data from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study wave 3 and refresher 1, with a sample of 6871 participants (M = 56.80yrs, SD = 14.58 yrs).Results showed that social media use played a significant mediating role in well-being, specifically in loneliness (b = 0.001, p=0.003), positive affect (b = -0.002,p< 0.001), and eudaimonic well-being (b = -0.020,p< 0.001).However, the indirect pathway from age to well-being through social media use was negative.That is, as individuals aged, they tended to use social media less frequently, which in turn was associated with worse well-being outcomes.These findings add to the expanding body of research on the complicated relationship between social media use and well-being, emphasizing the significance of focused interventions to encourage social media use for social connection in middle-aged adult populations.The study has implications for health professionals working with middle-aged adults, underlining the importance of considering social media use as a potential method of enhancing well-being.

A CONCEPT ANALYSIS OF SHARED DECISION MAKING FOR OLDER PATIENTS WITH DEMENTIA IN ACUTE CARE HOSPITALS
Taeko Saito 1 , and Harue Masaki 2 , 1. Chiba University, Inzai, Chiba, Japan, 2. Chiba University, Chiba, Chiba, Japan Background: Dementia patients often have comorbidities like Diabetes Mellitus, kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease that require patient decision-making about care, despite the challenges in judgment that stem from dementia.The study aimed to determine what Shared Decision-making is for older patients with dementia in acute care hospitals.Methods: The study used the Hybrid Model of concept analysis method.This comprises a theoretical phase, a fieldwork phase, and an analytical phase.In the initial phase, the concept is selected.The fieldwork phase collects qualitative data to further analyze the selected concept.The third phase analyzes the empirical observations and writes up the findings.We searched Pub-Med, CINAHL, and PsycINFO for the keywords: "shared decision-making" and "patients with dementia."Results: We identified 14 articles that gave rise to over 100 codes.We defined shared decision-making for older patients with dementia in acute care hospitals as "The older person with dementia can be involved in collaborative activities in the care network, including delegation of authority as active decision-making.Open-minded communication based on person-centered care can be the foundation for considering feasible options.Clarify the role of family caregivers and identify decision-making participants in the care network to view the best alternative for the patient's subsequent life".Conclusions: We developed a working definition of shared decision-making for patients with dementia.We clarified critical elements of the decision-making process, like based as person-centered care, open-minded communication, and collaborative decision-making activities between the person and the care network members, including delegation of authority.

ANALYSIS OF CONVERSATIONAL ENTRAINMENT AMONG OLDER PERSONS WITH ADRD AND UNIMPAIRED ADULTS
Christine Williams 1 , Joseph McKinley 1 , Charles Cooper 1 , Nurgun Erdol 1 , and Christopher Beetle 2 , 1.Florida Atlantic University,Boca Raton,Florida,United States,2. Florida Atlantic university,Boca Raton,Florida,United States Social isolation threatens the health of older adults, particularly those with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD).Our research uses measures of behavioral coordination to quantify the entrainment of an individual's behavior to the collective dynamics of a group to which they belong, aiming to identify useful strategies to reduce social isolation for persons with ADRD in therapeutic group contexts.The present study is based on data collected during 27,

BEING IN MIDDLE-AGED ADULTS: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA USE jingchuan
wu 1 , Xin Yao Lin 2 , Tian Lin 3 , and David Almeida 4 , 1. Penn State University, State College, Pennsylvania, United States, 2. Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, New York, United States, 3. University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States, 4. The Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, United States